Locking means for electric lights



Oct. 24, 1933. c. w. CHERRY LOCKING MEANS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHTS Filed Sept. 22,1932

IN V EN TOR.

A TTORNEY Patented Oct. 24, 1933 1,932,132 LOCKING MEANS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHTS Carl W. Cherry, Carmel, Calif.

Application September 22, 1932 Serial No. 634,381

4 Claims. (01. 17631) 7 This invention relates to locking means for electric lights, and more particularly to a novel base for electric light bulbs which is adapted to cooperate with an intermediate locking element for locking said base to a conventional electric light socket. 7

An object of my invention is to provide means whereby a member, carried by my novel base, may be caused to intrude and wedge itself between the adjacent surfaces of an intermediate locking element and the interior of a light socket.

A further object is to provide means to ad- Vance said locking element until it jams the related parts togetherso tightly within the socket that the light bulb cannot be removed therefrom without recourse to said means; any attempt to remove the bulb in the usual manner of unscrewing it by hand would break the bulb unless it were first unlocked.

A further, very important object is to provide an aperture in said locking element having an incline arranged to lead the free end of said wedging member out from the interior to the exterior of said locking element.

Another object is to provide keys of different types to actuate said locking means; together with further objects and advantages which may appear as the specification unfolds, be particularly pointed out in the claims and illustrated in the drawing, attached hereto and made part hereof, in which,

Figure 1 is an elevational view of my novel base screwed into the locking element which appears in vertical mid-section, the light bulb being broken away.

Figure 2 is a top plan View of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a composite elevational view showing alight bulb provided with my novel base and said locking element about to be screwed into the upper member of the figure; the light socket.

Figure 4 is an elevational view of the whole assemblage.

Figure 5 shows a section taken through said element on the line VV of Figure 1, which reveals a plan View of a form of key applied to said element.

Figure 6 is a section taken on the line VIVI of Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a bottom plan view of the conventional light socket.

Figure 8 shows fragmentary perspective views of the lamp base and locking element showing the circumferentially extending finger for cooperation with a side openingin the locking element.

Similar reference indicia refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

In carrying out my invention I provide the novel base B, which is secured to the light'bulb L in the usual manner, and assumed to be pro- 60 vided with the usual light filaments adapted to form an electric circuit with complemental contacts and wiring extending to a source of elec tric current so as to produce incandescence in said filaments when the respective poles 5 and 6 65 are brought in contact with each other, and the switch 7 turned on. Said wiring, filaments etc. being unnecessary to show as they form no part of the present invention. f

The base Btakes the place of the conventional base and is secured to the bulb L in'the conventional manner too well known in the art to need explanation. The base B is provided with the usual threads, which however, instead of screwing directly into the socket 8 screw into the looking element 9 provided with the aperture 10 adapted for approximate coincidence with the end 11, of the member 12.

The member 12 is preferably a part of the thread of said base, and comprises a spring-like member formed by cutting loose a portion of said thread so that it will trail when the base is being screwed into said locking element which is adapted and arranged to screw into the socket 8, and is provided with notched means on the outer end which are adapted to be engaged by a key.

The preferred embodiment of said notched means is well shown in Figure 3, wherein the vertical castellated notches 13 are formed in the cylindrical body of said locking element. In another embodiment, shown in Figure 5, the lower end of said element terminates in the flange 14, turned outwardly at a right angle and provided with the notches 15. The key 16 in Figure 5, is shown with the lugs 17 engaging the notches whereas, the key 19 is well shown in Figure 3 with the teeth 20 engaging the notches 13.

It is to be understood that the size and spacing of all said teeth and notches can be so arranged that certain keys will engage certain series of notches and not others, and a master-key can be provided for each of the embodiments disclosed.

It should be noted that both the key 16 and the key 19 are removably secured to the handle 21 by the screw 22, or in the other suitable manner. The handle 21 is appropriately coated or covered with insulating matter 23.

To operate my device, the bulb L, carrying the locking element 9 is screwed by hand into the light-socket 8 in the usual manner. The suitable key is now applied and the locking element 9 is screwed into the socket as far as possible by man ual operation of the handle 21.

While the locking element 9 was being thus advanced, the aperture 10 advanced with it sliding the flattened portion 24 under the end 11 of the member 12 causing said member to be thrust forcibly between the outer surface of the asso ciated thread=25 of said locking element and the inner adjacent surface of the socket thread 26 thereby locking the base B so tightly as to prevent its being unscrewed until released by the key; any attempt to remove the light L by manual unscrewing would tend to wedge the member further or break the bulb.

It is believed that my invention and the advantages to be gained by the use thereof are fully,

explained. In reducing my invention to practice, certain minor features in construction, combination and of parts may necessitate alteration, to which the patentee is entitled, providing, such alteration is comprehended in the scope of what is claimed.

What I claim is 1. Meansfor looking a lamp bulb in asocket comprising an incandescent. 1am a. screw base forthelamp, a freely rotatable sleeve threaded on th'ebase andhaving an opening in the side thereof and a circumferentially extending finger carried by the lamp base to be projected through the sleeve opening for wedging engagement with a socketupon. unscrewing movement of the sleeve on the" lamp base.

' 2; Means for locking a" lamp bulb in a socket comprising in combination with a threaded lamp base'anda threaded socket, a removable threaded 3. Means for looking a lamp bulb in a socket cemprisingin combination with a threaded lamp base and a threaded socket, a removable threaded member interposed between the lamp base and socket and cooperating means carried by the lamp base and intermediate member rendered operable. uponrotation of the member relative to the lamp base forlocking the lamp base in the socket, the cooperating means including a circumferenti'ally extending tongue struck from a thread of the lamp base and an opening in the intermediate member through which the free end of the tongue is adapted to be projected for wedging position. between the intermediate member and threaded socket. Y

4. Means for looking a lamp bulb in a socket comprising in combination with a threaded lamp base and a threaded socket, a removable thread ed member interposed between the lamp base and socket and cooperating means carried by the lamp base and intermediate member rendered operable upon rotation of the member relative to the lamp base for locking the lamp base in the socket, and said intermediate member having a. key engageable portion whereby the intermediate member may be rotated in the desired direction for locking and unlocking a lamp basein the socket.

CARL W. CHERRY. 

